Outstanding PLUS Awards: meet the judges!

Meet the distinguished panel of judges who selected the winners of this year’s Outstanding PLUS Awards.

The OPA celebrates Bristol PLUS Award students who have made a significant change or impact in their PLUS Award activity. There are eight award categories, with just one winner per category.

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Post-Get Hired checklist: make the most of your connections.

Bristol Beacon’s Get Hired event on Wednesday 3 May brought together more than 750 students with 40 employers from a range of industries, offering immediate job vacancies, graduate roles, and internships.

Fair sponsors, Outlook Energy, talking to students at the Get Hired careers fair.

But attending the fair is only the first step – what you do next can determine your success in building your network, finding a mentor, or landing your dream job.

The employers at Get Hired were impressed by the quality of students they met, and as we know Bristol students are the 4th most targeted by top graduate employers, so it’s important to capitalize on that positive impression and keep the momentum going.

Here are some tips to help you maximise your post-fair experience.

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Get Hired sponsor spotlight – meet Elizabeth from Davitt Jones Bould (DJB)

Hi, I’m Elizabeth Collin and I am the Business Manager at Davitt Jones Bould (DJB), real estate law specialists, and we are one of the sponsors of Get Hired this year.

After graduating from the University of Warwick in 2018 with first-class honours in English Literature, I embarked on the graduate job hunt. When looking for positions, I was very open-minded, seeking a position that would allow me to learn and grow in a commercial setting.

This is always my first tip to graduates now: with this mindset, you will invariably stumble upon opportunities that you weren’t even aware of at the time. This is exactly what I experienced when I secured my graduate position at Davitt Jones Bould (DJB).

DJB is a national law firm founded in 1999 which has become established as the largest specialist real estate firm in the UK. Unlike traditional law firms, at DJB we operate a twin-track model, separating commercial dealings from the legal practice.

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Aman: My IKEEP experience with a tech start-up

The IKEEP (Intrapreneurial Knowledge Exchange Enterprise Pathway) programme, run by world-leading business incubator SETsquared, offers free online training in entrepreneurship and business skills.

Some students then take on a project with an innovative SME. We caught up with epidemiology postgrad Aman Jat after he finished his IKEEP placement with medical tech start-up Microsol.

Aman Jat at the beach in Cornwall

Aman, can you tell us more about the project you were working on? 

Microsol is a science start-up focused on delivering AI-enabled software products for predicting aerosol properties in respiratory drug delivery. Microsol directly contribute to the advancement of respiratory therapeutics, which is beneficial to society and the economy.

The aim of our project was to plan Microsol’s public launch. A key objective was to develop a marketing campaign, find prospective investors from data and expand their network, as well as enhance their web presence.

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Five reasons why you should take part in a City Challenge

For our latest City Challenge, we teamed up with local Bristol charity BristolHub, an organisation that supports University of Bristol students to tackle social challenges, learn about issues and connect with each other.

So what is a City Challenge? and why should you take part?

Table of students at the careers service working on the most recent City Challenge with BristolHub

We caught up with Hannah (BA Politics and International Relations) and Apoorva (MA Economics and Finance) who attended the most recent City Challenge, along with Will Westgarth of Bristol Hub, to hear all about the programme and why they recommend you take part in a future one. Here are their five top reasons : 

1. You can make a real difference to a local charity

During a City Challenge, you help a Bristol non-profit tackle an issue they are facing. You learn about a local cause, help improve them and have a positive impact on the local community. Our most recent challenge was with Bristol Hub. Hannah, who’s in her second year, said, “I aspire to work in the non-profit sector so insight into a small charity and the way it works was really helpful for me.” 

Will, from BristolHub, smiling

The charity gets a lot too.

Will of Bristol Hub said, “The Challenge helped Bristol Hub further understand students’ desires when it comes to opportunities and how we can best reach out and connect with students. They came up with incredibly detailed and well thought-out presentations, with suggestions which we will take on board for the next academic year.”  

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Graduate stories: The Graduate Route visa has allowed me to do a meaningful job

Utsa attended the University of Bristol as an international student from India, majoring in BSc Social Policy and Sociology.

A picture of Utsa smiling with a city scape behind her

After graduating last year, Utsa used the Graduate Route to secure a job within the university and is now working as an International Scholarship Assistant.

She is one of over 80,000 international students granted a Graduate Route visa since it launched in the summer of 2021.

Utsa spoke to us about her ambitions for working in a role that allows her to make a positive impact on the people and communities around her.

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Top tips for neurodivergent job seekers

As a student or graduate with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, or another type of learning disability, navigating the job market can feel daunting.

Yet neurodiverse candidates can bring a unique set of talents. These can include creativity, enthusiasm, innovation, “hyperfocus”, and the ability to build in-depth knowledge.

So, what steps can you take to find out more and maximise your chances of success in the job market?

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How to get a career in media and journalism

Journalism and the media play a crucial role within society – observing and reporting on current events, facts, and ideas to inform people about the world and how it operates.

On 1 November 2022, three professional alumni speakers, Aasmah Mir, Mel Rodrigues and David Afikuyomi, shared their experiences at our ‘How to get into Media and Journalism Event’ for Social Science and Law students.

With varied backgrounds in TV production, presenting, and academic article distribution, they offered valuable insights on how to utilise your passions and be successful in this competitive and evolving industry.

Here are 8 of our top takeaways from the event:

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Global Careers Week: Sarah’s inspirational global career

Employers from all countries are looking for graduates who can demonstrate global skills and competencies.

Bristol alumni, Sarah M. Natumanya, tells us about her global experience working for a German consulting group, the UN in Switzerland and as a consultant in Uganda.

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Calling all future founders! The Development Stage is open.

The Development Stage of the New Enterprise Competition (NEC) opens on 28 November for applications until 27 January.

The New Enterprise Competition is the University of Bristol’s flagship start-up competition and will soon be entering its 20th year. The Development Stage is where we can help you turn your start-up idea into a more realised business.

The word development

If you have a business idea and would like to take it to the next level then you should absolutely apply now on MyCareer. Read on to find out exactly why should apply for the Development Stage!

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